


In The Afterlife

by jeongochi



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angels - Freeform, Gen, Heavy Angst, Lots and Lots of Death, M/M, Slow Burn, also a lot of side ships but changjin is the endgame, tags may change in further updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:24:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19083127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeongochi/pseuds/jeongochi
Summary: Demons, vampires, witches, and warlocks, along with every other kind of supernatural creature one could possibly imagine, all coexist, living amongst each other in harmony—with the mere exception of non-supernatural creatures, of course.Changbin is a guardian angel, whose job is to make sure that no bad souls hurt the precious humans put on the planet by the deities.It never once crossed his mind that he’d end up falling in love with one.





	In The Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> helloooo~
> 
> this is basically just a filler fic since i won't have much time to finish dhyb eheh
> 
> i have absolutely no idea where i want to go with this fic, but just know that changbin will interact with each member and changjin is the endgame uwu
> 
> enjoy x

When Changbin was born and brought down to Earth, he never would’ve known that he’d have to deal with the many, _many_ burdens of being a guardian angel.

 

Supposedly, the gods chose him for a reason, but he still hadn't figured it out despite being alive for so long. Maybe in his past life, he was a fucked up person and was reborn to be something of the opposite role? Was he a drug dealer? A murderer? Or maybe they just picked him out of a billion random people and said, "Hey, how about this kid?"

 

Whatever the reason, Changbin had a love-hate relationship with his job for as long as he could remember.

 

Making sure that souls passed on and got through the gates was always fulfilling to him, not to mention being able to have the honor of possessing wings handmade by the gods themselves.

 

What _was_ unfortunate was that despite him and his comrades having wings, they all traveled by car. By _car_! What was the point of having wings if he couldn't even _use_ them? It still frustrated him on a daily basis, but it's not like there was much he could do about it anyway, so he manages.

 

Your wings define _who you are_ in the system. Some might have wings smaller or bigger than others, some might be tinted differently, and some might even be broken or burnt.

 

Changbin's wings were a soft, light grey, a darker shade by his blades with the bottom half of his feather tips dusted with gold; and because he'd been doing his job for so damn _long_ , he was recently promoted to a unit leader and his wings were more expanded, now long enough to engulf himself or any other being.

 

No one really showed their wings unless they chose to, were asked, or in battle. Fortunately, there hadn't been a war in decades, and the angels planned to keep it that way.

 

One thing was certain though: if you lost your wings as a guardian angel, you were _nothing_ , merely cast down to Earth and left to rot and fend for yourself.

 

There had only been one incident that Changbin knows of where someone had lost their wings: Dong-gyun.

 

Dong-gyun was one of the most elite guardian angels, maybe even one of the God’s favorites, but one day, he just simply...disappeared.

 

No one knew where he went or what _truly_ happened to him, but rumor had it that he fell in love with a human and was discarded as an angel, for loving a being that wasn’t one of your own kind was a sin. Angels are meant to be with angels, humans are meant to be with humans. It’s just how the world _works_.

 

Some people assume that all that happens when you commit an act of sin is just the process of getting revoked, but there was a sinister piece of truth burrowed deep within the brink of the surface. When you sin as a guardian angel, you don't _just_ get repudiated, you get your wings torn off with the fury of the gods themselves because _they chose **you**_ , and for one to willingly disobey the rules and laws set in stone was enough for a life of knowing that their soul is slammed down into a category _so_ below of who and what they used to be, along with being forced to _know_ and _feel_ like they are nothing might even be worse than death itself.

 

When one gets their wings ripped, they are cast away and plummet down to the ground, finally experiencing true pain, because once you reach the Earth, you truly _are_ nothing. You don't have your wings, you don't have your powers, you don't have _anything_.

 

Just the mere  _thought_ of Changbin losing his wings was enough for him to teach himself to not get attached to humans. He had seen them come and go, seen them live and die, but he'd never fully  _lost_ because he's never _allowed_ himself to do so.

 

Love, in this world, was cruel; _especially_ with humans who meddled with the supernatural beings they were forced to live amongst.

 

One moment you're walking with the person of your dreams, regardless of whether they or you are human or not, talking about how the weather has been or how much the sun has been shining, and the next thing you know, teeth are getting sunk into the flesh of their neck, their limbs twisting and eyes rolling back as their veins pop and tear.

 

You can't allow yourself to get attached to people who aren't _your kind_ because you never know what's lurking in those dark alleyways, creatures so discreet and silent just _waiting_ to pounce and rip the skin off some poor human's bones.

 

It's a risk both the spiritual being and human have to take because not only are they breaking and violating the laws of the world they live in, but they’re putting _each other_ in danger.

 

That's why Changbin has never once loved, lost, or chosen to get closer than he has to be with humans.

 

He doesn’t remember how long he’s been around, but he does know that he’s been on Earth long enough to know that although the world seemed to be at least _somewhat_ at peace with the people residing in it, there were some horrible, vile creatures who plagued it.

 

Creatures worse than the Devil himself.

 

He recalls one time when he and the rest of his unit had been designated to a certain section in Busan. It was one of the worst massacres he’d ever seen in a _terribly_ long time.

 

“Total of 83 have been reaped and 14 are critically wounded. Be on the lookout for the Soul Serpents, they could still be here.” Changbin nodded towards the stony voice of the unit leader, grazing his eyes across the bodies that littered the vast alleyway. “Find out what happened.”

 

He nodded once more, signaling for his group to move forward.

 

When they had walked far enough to be out of earshot, he felt his teammate shudder, their shoulders touching as they walked amongst the bodies.

 

"I don't understand. I thought Unit 411 had exterminated all of the Serpents in this district...?"

 

Changbin shook his head.

 

"Wooyoung, you of all people should know that what's supposed to be dead normally doesn't _stay_ dead in this world," he sighed, noticing that most of the corpses were teenagers, maybe even close to the age he looks. "They must have a nest around here somewhere."

 

Treading around the souls that were shredded to pieces, he stopped immediately when he heard a faint whimper coming from somewhere buried within the bloodshed. He ushered for his comrades to keep going forward so he could deal with this himself.

 

“Pl-please, i-is there anyone there?” the voice caught him off guard, and was so, _so_ fragile, almost like it was on the verge of shattering. If Changbin wasn’t a supernatural being with an unlimited variety amount of powers, he wouldn’t have been able to hear it in the first place.

 

“Please help me…”

 

His normally dark brown eyes melded into a pitch black, golden flecks dancing around his pupil as he scanned the area once more.

 

And there he saw a bloodied boy around the age of 17, tears and sweat mixing with the black and red liquid on his cheeks, leaning against the side of a dumpster.

 

From what Changbin could see, the young boy wouldn’t make it, even if he _wanted_ to heal him.

 

There was an enormous gash that ripped through his light blue and white shirt, the material soaked in crimson. It was just too much for him to heal, the damage was irreversible in a situation like this.

 

The boy’s eyes were fox-like and pleading with him, his breath coming out in harsh pants from his parted lips. Changbin noted the many rings that the boy was wearing, mainly silver, but now tainted with a dark red. It was sad that he was so _young_.

 

He made his presence known, being careful enough to not scare the young boy as he squatted down next to him, being cautious of the demon blood splattered on his body. “It’s going to be okay. My name is Changbin, can you tell me yours?”

 

The boy in front of him struggled to breathe, his hands limp at his side. He didn’t seem to be afraid of Changbin, which made this whole situation just a tad bit easier. He didn’t think he was that intimidating—look wise at least—so it brought a sense of pride to him, knowing that he was at least acknowledged by this human.

 

Or maybe he was just relieved that someone heard his cries for help.

 

“My name…is Jeongin,” the boy whispered, for his body was torn and he was losing blood at an incredulous speed. “Yang Jeongin.”

 

Although Changbin had only just met this young boy, who most likely happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, he felt obligated to make sure he passed on safe and okay, because with his gifted eyes, he could see that this boy was a pure soul—which nowadays, were rare to come by.

 

“Are you...are you an angel?”

 

He delicately moved a piece of hair from Jeongin’s face, being careful to avoid touching the thick black liquid that tainted the boy’s pale skin.

 

“Yes, Jeongin, I am,” he said, pondering if he should show his wings. 

 

 _Not now._  

 

“Jeongin-ah, I need to do something so I can figure out what happened, is that okay with you?”

 

Changbin was almost breathless at how his eyes seemed to be depthless, filled with endless galaxies of bright stars and shimmering comets, despite the agony he must be going through.

 

_How unfair._

 

Jeongin nodded weakly, the corners of his mouth tipping in a slight smile. _Why was he smiling at a time like this?_ Changbin wondered.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Now with his permission, he gingerly put his fingers to Jeongin’s temples and closed his eyes to seal the link.

 

And there he watched everything that happened from Jeongin’s point of view.

 

As he had woefully predicted before, Jeongin _had_ been at the wrong place, simply at the wrong time; and from what he could tell, he really _was_ just an innocent kid.

 

He saw that Jeongin had just come back from some odd place with a large screen filled with dirty seats and buckets of popcorn with other humans, but his original location wasn’t important at the moment.

 

He just needed to find out _what happened._

 

So he resumed the memory, watching and hearing Jeongin laugh, touching and giving affection to everyone standing around him. Changbin bit the inside of his lip, part of him wondering why he was always so damn _soft_ when it came to pure souls.

 

_Such a poor, innocent boy._

 

He continued to watch, bracing for the moment when everything went wrong.

 

_“Hyung, I really should go home... ”_

 

_“Aw c’mon, can’t you stay out a bit more, Jeonginnie? It’s only 10:30!”_

 

_There was a slight pause from Jeongin before he replied back._

 

_“My mom is just home alone right now and I-I told her I’d come home right after the movie...I'm sorry.”_

 

_Jeongin looked down and played with his fingers and the threads on his sleeve, not looking any of his other friends in the eye._

 

_“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to apologize, Jeonginnie. Can we at least walk you home? I’m sure that all of us want to make sure you get there safe.”_

 

_The young boy’s head bobbed excitedly._

 

_“Of course!”_

 

There was a large group of people surprisingly. All of them seemed to be high school kids with not a single care for the world. They were just…content with being alongside one another. Changbin couldn't remember the last time he’d ever felt at peace with himself, or with anyone, really.

 

_“Oh! I walk this way to get to work. Let’s take this shortcut so you can get home quicker.”_

 

It was at that exact moment when they made their mistake.

 

They had just gotten at least a quarter of the way through the alley when there was a terrible scream from behind Jeongin. He whipped his head around in curiosity and alarm to see a grotesque, tenebrous creature digging its serrated claws into a girl’s neck. Her blood gushed and splattered sickly against the brick wall, her hand outstretched, mouth open in a sob.

 

_“I-It’s a demon!”_

 

No one moved a single inch, all of them frozen in utter shock and horror. Unexpectedly, the skeletal being promptly jerked its skull up, frenetically ripping the flesh off the poor girl’s bones. Its eyes were hollow, sucked into nothing but empty darkness.

 

_“Fresh humans!”_

 

Before Changbin or Jeongin could predict what would happen next, the ghoul let out a sinister, ear-piercing howl out of its crimson stained mouth, chunks of skin between its pointed teeth.

 

_“Fuck! Let’s go, let’s go!”_

 

_Jeongin was tugged roughly in an attempt to get him out of the unavoidable death situation they’d put themselves in, but Jeongin stayed in place._

 

_“Hyung, we can’t just leave her!”_

 

_“Jeongin, she’s gone, now let’s go!”_

 

_“But I can-”_

 

_One final pull and there he was, forced to sprint alongside his classmates. His eyes darted back at the girl, seeing her body now mangled and slumped on the cement ground._

 

Almost there, they were almost _there_. Just a couple more steps and-

 

- _another_ black, malformed creature slammed down in front of them, remnants resembling bony, mutilated wings protruding from its back to block their path.

 

_“Where do you little souls think you’re going?”_

 

_“Jeongin, get behind us now!”_

 

_They formed a barricade around him, making sure there were no openings._

 

 _“What are you doing?”_ _Jeongin shouted, wondering why they were putting their lives on the line for him. “Stop, stop, you guys don't have to do this!”_

 

One of his friends, the one who had pulled him away, momentarily looked back at him with a fond look full with so much _love_ that it sent a sharp stab through Changbin’s heart as he watched.

 

_“It's the only way we can protect you, Jeongin.”_

 

_The skeleton of a being cocked its head, intrigued._

 

_“Mm, I can just taste the sweet fear coming from your throats. Putting a little show on for me and deciding not to run? Perfect!”_

 

It leapt forward, opening its mouth filled with rows and rows of fangs, ready to taste flesh and feel their tendons rip apart.

 

_“Don't let it get near Jeongin!”_

 

Before he could see the ghoul coming towards them, Changbin pulled back with a gasp. He took his fingers off Jeongin’s head, carefully making sure he didn’t harm him in any way possible.

 

The boy in front of him was on the edge now, his eyes fluttering open and shut as he started to succumb to the inevitable numbness of suffering.

 

_I'm so sorry._

 

“Changbin-”

 

“Shh, don’t say anything.” he tenderly pressed the ghost of a finger against Jeongin’s lips. “I promise you, you’re going to be okay now.” he spoke softly, hoping his words would give the young boy salvation and tranquility for what was to come next. “Nothing can hurt you anymore.”

 

And it wasn’t a lie, because where Jeongin was going, there was nothing but paradise. A world with no pain or suffering, a world where everything is crystal white and glimmering, a world where they didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

 

“...Promise?”

 

He put his hand over Jeongin’s unmoving ones in a silent prayer.

 

“I promise.”

 

Jeongin nodded his head ever-so-slightly, the corners of his lips rising again once more.

 

“Thank you.”

 

With those final words, Changbin hovered his hands above the deep lacerations on Jeongin’s chest, hoping to give him just one last undisturbed moment without anguish.

 

“You can let go now, Jeongin-ah. I hope I can see you soon.”

 

And even until the very end, Jeongin had a smile on his face.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if by any chance you have any questions, feel free to dm me on twitter @jeongochi or comment below :)


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